Country Cottage Transformation

sort style and stage
2 days ago
3 min read

In this blog we're going to share with you a fantastic property in Bourne End that we prepared and staged for sale. This is a charming, 3 bedroom cottage, with a traditional layout, located close to the Thames.

This property has been a long term rental. However our clients did not want to continue to rent out the property, given the recent legislative changes. The Rental Rights Act imposes siginficant additional impacts on lanlords so we are seeing various landlords looking to sell their rental portfolios. Learn more on the Act here.

After the tenants moved out, our clients have decorated throughout, including adding new carpets so the property already feels bright and airy. Given the property was empty, our clients felt that buyers would struggle to visualise how to use the various spaces, given this is a country cottage. They also wanted to achieve the highest resale price and know that selling empty won't achieve that objective. So they asked for our help!

Step One - Preparing the Home

Before the staging could start, we focused our attention on some key spots, for example:

the curtain pole in the living room was not straight and would have affected the quality of the photography and buyer experience so we removed then lifted this and filled in the holes left behind
added voiles to the living room to finish off the space

Take a look ...

replaced the window dressings for the large window in the primary bedroom with modern classic alternatives
most of the lampshades were traditional, so to pull the design aesthetics together, we replaced these with modern alternatives
we relocated the outdoor dinning furniture to a more suitable location

Although the above are individually small improvements, these make a real difference to the way the home feels.

Step 2 - Dressing The Home

Given this is a cottage and it was empty, the rooms may feel a little small. Buyers are naturally going to wonder if it will be large enough for a family given there was no clear direction on how to use each space. Understanding how best to layout each room with the releavnt furniture and accessory placement is critical so that buyers see each space as truly functional.

The hallway is surpringly large so we embraced this and created various "moments" so buyers are welcomed into this fabulous home.

We have been able to show the kitchen is large enough to be used as an eat in kitchen with a designated dining area with large dining table - there's even room for more!

On the ground floor, there's a wonderful bijou cloakroom, so we've embraced the decor colour scheme - what a fabulous space!

Upstairs there are three bedrooms and given the potential buyer profile, we've created a primary bedroom and two children's bedrooms for different aged children.

We have created living spaces that feel light, airy and spacious. It is now very clear to buyers that this home has much to offer.

Our Thoughts

We work in properties of all sizes and often we're asked whether staging works in smaller sized properties. Ceri Owen, our founder says:

Many clients have doubts about whether staging works for smaller properties. The answer is undoutedgly YES - it does work on all properties, including smaller properties.

Smaller properties can be more challenging because space is limited and access can be restricted. Our staged homes make the most use of each and every space so buyers can imagine themselves living there.

Learn more about how staging adds value to smaller sized properties here.